You've been looking forward to these photos for weeks.I'd been looking forward to this wedding for several long months + one even longer year.(I know you feel me, R+D.)And over the course of that time, I'd been turning around some very important questions in my brain since Rachel and Dalton booked me for their destination wedding to New Orleans.

What happens if my heart bursts or my eyeballs fall out of my head when I step on the property of the venue? Will I be allowed to take the vat of creole mac and cheese back to my table for complete personal consumption? Can I convince someone to cannon ball in the pool at the end of the night? What will the bride wear? Equally as important—wait for it—what will the dapper groom select? (Something I've never before pondered so sincerely.) And lastly: what am I going to do when I don't have this wedding to look forward to anymore?!

The answers to most of my questions were delightfully satisfied (nothing, everything, maybe, yes, laaaace, perfection, still a mystery) but what I'm still wondering: WHY AREN'T YOU SCROLLING YET and WHERE ARE YOUR TISSUES? This my best work, yo! And I'm incredibly proud, eager, flavored with a dash of nervous, and excited to share it with you.

At long last: the Schmidts, ladies and gents!

+ A shout out to the incredible team, working to weave a little extra magic into Rachel + Dalton's incredible day: